The New York Times' Ben Brantley compared Johansson's performance to other stars who have appeared on Broadway in recent years, insisting the 25 year old outshone all her contemporaries.

He writes, "In recent years Broadway's stages have been littered with dim performances from bright screen stars, including Julia Roberts and Katie Holmes... By comparison, Ms. Johansson melts into her character so thoroughly that her nimbus of celebrity disappears."

While The Washington Post's Peter Marks adds, "The surprising achievement belongs to Johansson, who proves to be capable of far more than collaborating in eyebrow-raising star casting."